So this past week was interesting for missionary work. One of the most interesting days was Thursday, when we literally wore jeans and a t-shirt all day. So it started with normal studies, and then we had planned to go do service with the Romero family, some investigators, at 10:00. They have a really cool farm where they do a lot of composting and natural stuff, plus they have goats and pigs and chickens and they also breed dogs. He milked the goat for us and let us drink some. It tasted pretty good, but it would have been better if it wasn't warm. So we did that for a couple of hours and then we had to run down to Menifee to do service at a food pantry with the Zone. About 30 minutes before we finish service there, our Ward Mission Leader calls us and says "Sister Castro is moving now because it's going to rain this weekend, can you come help us move?" We were already in service clothes so we figured why not. Well we get there, and because she thought she wasn't moving until Saturday, nothing is packed. So Brother Sperry has a contractor pack of big garbage bags and just starts throwing everything that's loose into a bag while we move the furniture. It was pretty amazing that we were able to pack, move, and drop off an entire house in 4 hours with only 2 trailers. At that point it was nearly 6:30, and we have dinner with the Sperry's every Thursday anyway. So we just went over to his house in our service clothes. He'd had chili in the crockpot all day, and we had dinner and MCM in our service clothes. So that was our Thursday - 9 hours of service and a planning meeting.
On Friday we also did some service, though less than on Thursday. We got a referral from the Mapleton missionaries saying that the grandma of one of their members needed some help with her ranch, and she lived in our area. They said she hadn't ever really showed much interest in the Gospel, but we could go do some service and see what happened. So we went over there and helped her with her yard for a bit and after she cooked us some homemade waffles and fresh eggs from her chickens. So we finished up and hadn't really gotten much of a chance to share a message, but we needed to leave. Before we left, she said "Thank you very much, and maybe we can fit in a lesson next time, okay?" So we were kind of stunned. It also turns out that she is best friends with a couple in our ward and also her grandson is on a mission right now, so she has a soft spot for missionaries.
As for other missionary work, it was one of those weeks where all our appointments fell through, or they rescheduled when we got to the doorstep. But we've been doing more home visits like President Mullen has asked, and that has helped us to get some team-ups with ward members, and helped us to know which less actives we should be working with. On Tuesday, Elder Goodrich went with Brother Burk, the Stake Patriarch, to go visit one of his home teaching families that is a part member family. And apparently the non-member husband hardly ever comes out, but Elder Goodrich just asked where he was, and they went and got him. Over the course of the visit, they talked about why he wasn't a member and his history with the Church, and in the end he said we could come back and visit them again. So we're hoping that will become a teaching opportunity. Then on Sunday, Brother Burk approached us and asked if one of us could go along on a visit, and Elder Goodrich volunteered again, and they went and saw another less active family. And when they went over there, it was an awesome visit, and right at the end of the conversation, Elder Goodrich mentioned something about having a bad knee, and the guy happens to own an orthopedics company. So he said he'd bring him a brand new pair of insoles to church next week! So I think Brother Sperry's whole mentality about finding the members that have been active and just need a little reminder could really work well. We've already seen that people are responding positively to our visits. We just need to do our part to get members out with us, because sometimes it's kind of hard to do much else in Perris at 7:30 except visit less active members, and that can be very time consuming and mile intensive if you don't have members' help.
Two more fun experiences from seeking with faith. The first one was on Friday, we were out seeking with faith, and we saw someone working in the yard, which normally means Hispanic and they don't live here. But we decided to talk to them anyway, and he didn't speak any English, but his shirt said something about faith in Christ. So I was able to start a conversation with "Me gusta su camisa." One of those simple phrases I probably learned in 7th grade Spanish, and it actually helped. The other funny experience was on a blitz when I was with Elder Olsen and we were tracting in the Sun City area. This particular house had one of those doorbells that has a camera and an intercom system. So they obviously saw us, and didn't want to answer the door and have a face-to-face conversation. Before we left, she asked if we could all pray together. So we kind of looked at each other confused, but decided to go with it. So she said "I'll start it and you can finish it," and we had no idea what that meant. So she starts praying through the doorbell, and then she suddenly stops talking, no amen or anything. So I look at Elder Olsen and he just starts praying, and I guess that's how they do it at her church because she didn't say anything about it, but it was just kind of interesting. I've never prayed with someone through their doorbell before.
Until next week
From the West Side . . . ,
Elder Cornaby
As for other missionary work, it was one of those weeks where all our appointments fell through, or they rescheduled when we got to the doorstep. But we've been doing more home visits like President Mullen has asked, and that has helped us to get some team-ups with ward members, and helped us to know which less actives we should be working with. On Tuesday, Elder Goodrich went with Brother Burk, the Stake Patriarch, to go visit one of his home teaching families that is a part member family. And apparently the non-member husband hardly ever comes out, but Elder Goodrich just asked where he was, and they went and got him. Over the course of the visit, they talked about why he wasn't a member and his history with the Church, and in the end he said we could come back and visit them again. So we're hoping that will become a teaching opportunity. Then on Sunday, Brother Burk approached us and asked if one of us could go along on a visit, and Elder Goodrich volunteered again, and they went and saw another less active family. And when they went over there, it was an awesome visit, and right at the end of the conversation, Elder Goodrich mentioned something about having a bad knee, and the guy happens to own an orthopedics company. So he said he'd bring him a brand new pair of insoles to church next week! So I think Brother Sperry's whole mentality about finding the members that have been active and just need a little reminder could really work well. We've already seen that people are responding positively to our visits. We just need to do our part to get members out with us, because sometimes it's kind of hard to do much else in Perris at 7:30 except visit less active members, and that can be very time consuming and mile intensive if you don't have members' help.
Two more fun experiences from seeking with faith. The first one was on Friday, we were out seeking with faith, and we saw someone working in the yard, which normally means Hispanic and they don't live here. But we decided to talk to them anyway, and he didn't speak any English, but his shirt said something about faith in Christ. So I was able to start a conversation with "Me gusta su camisa." One of those simple phrases I probably learned in 7th grade Spanish, and it actually helped. The other funny experience was on a blitz when I was with Elder Olsen and we were tracting in the Sun City area. This particular house had one of those doorbells that has a camera and an intercom system. So they obviously saw us, and didn't want to answer the door and have a face-to-face conversation. Before we left, she asked if we could all pray together. So we kind of looked at each other confused, but decided to go with it. So she said "I'll start it and you can finish it," and we had no idea what that meant. So she starts praying through the doorbell, and then she suddenly stops talking, no amen or anything. So I look at Elder Olsen and he just starts praying, and I guess that's how they do it at her church because she didn't say anything about it, but it was just kind of interesting. I've never prayed with someone through their doorbell before.
Until next week
From the West Side . . . ,
Elder Cornaby